Audit Office bullying claimed

Jan 30 2008 by Martin Shipton, Western Mail

THIRTY-FIVE employees at the Wales Audit Office – including two senior managers – claim they have been bullied or harassed by colleagues in the past year.

This shocking figure is included in a staff survey report leaked to the Western Mail.

The WAO was set up in 2005 after the amalgamation of the National Audit Office and the Audit Commission.

It is responsible for auditing the accounts of public bodies in Wales and publishes reports aimed at improving the effici-ency of organisations in the public sector.

Some 221 members of staff took part in the survey – more than 80% of the WAO’s workforce. The survey was undertaken by Digital Opinion of Kingston.

Another significant finding showed a low level of support for changes to a so-called matrix system of management introduced to the organisation by Auditor General Jeremy Colman.

Among the survey’s results were:

Some of my colleagues act in a manner or make comments which make me feel uncomfortable. Yes 25.3%, including Partners (senior managers) 20%.

I have been subjected to unacceptable behaviours (eg bullying/harassment) at work in the last 12 months. Yes 15.8%, including Partners 20%. 35 individuals in total.

If you reported it (bullying/harassment), do you think appropriate action was taken? No 52.6%, including Partners 50%.

Matrix management has been effectively implemented. Yes 17%, including Financial Audit 11% and Performance Audit 10.2%.

There is a culture of openness in the WAO. Yes 24.3%, including Financial Audit 17.5% and Performance Audit 16.7%.

I am able to express my concerns without fear. Yes 57.5%.

I would recommend the WAO to friends and family as a good place to work. Yes 53.4%.

The matrix helps to ensure that I am allocated interesting work. Yes 26.1%.

I feel that the WAO works as one team. Yes 14%, including Performance Audit 3.4%.

I have confidence in the Job Evaluation process. Yes 22.8%.

I believe that the WAO has improved in the last 12 months. Yes 46.8%, including Financial Audit 38% and Performance Audit 33.9%.

The Improving the Position project has helped improve the WAO in the last 12 months. Yes 39.3%, including Financial Audit 25.8% and Performance Audit 30.2%.

The survey report states in its conclusions, “WAO should address employees’ poor perception of the leadership, particularly with regard to openness of communication. Leaders are only leaders when they have followers. WAO is in danger of losing its followers.”

Andrew Hurley, a WAO specialist in IT systems who was sent on gardening leave in October 2005 and has not returned to work since, said, “I am pleased that 35 people have provided evidence of what I believe is a culture of bullying within the organisation. The matrix management system has not been popular with staff, many of whom no longer feel they are properly managed.”

A spokeswoman for the Wales Audit Office said, “This is the second staff survey undertaken following the establishment of the WAO in 2005, and has been organised jointly by management and trade unions.

“We continue to take any references to bullying and harassment extremely seriously. We actively encourage staff to report any concerns of this nature and have established processes for the purpose. This is in addition to compulsory seminars provided for staff on the different aspects of bullying which have been running since last year. There is a small number of staff with whom we are working to reach mutually agreed outcomes.

“It is of note in the survey that over 85% of staff state that they are treated with dignity and respect, and are given the support they need. It is our aim that this figure be at 100%.”

Matrix management questioned
Matrix management is a kind of organisational management in which people with similar skills are pooled for work assignments.

For example, all engineers may be in one engineering department and report to an engineering manager, but these same engineers may be assigned to different projects and report to a project manager while working on that project. Therefore, each engineer may have to work under several managers to get their job done.

The Digital Opinion survey report states, “The WAO should recognise that the matrix structure is still not widely understood or accepted. It is to be expected that new ways of working will take time to bed in, but it would appear that some WAO staff are still at the denial phase of the change curve.

“Unfortunately, people’s experiences to date mean that they appear to see few benefits to the matrix structure.The WAO should properly review people’s concerns regarding the matrix structure and focus on clarifying roles and responsibilities at all levels of the organisation.”